


Patch-work Dolls

by MageofMip



Category: Shaman King (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, silly fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:47:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24977110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MageofMip/pseuds/MageofMip
Summary: Manta, Yoh, and their friends explore one of the various shops for tourists set up by The Patch. The Patch are known to be strapped for money, but selling merchandise of the shamans participating seems a bit... odd, to say the least. Crossposted on ff.net under the same username.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 30





	Patch-work Dolls

**Author's Note:**

> A drabble based on a conversation from the Shaman King Discord server. This is the first thing I've written in many years, I hope my characterization is solid enough.

The Patch’s desperation for money was no secret. Odd sponsorships, sold out stadiums of normal people who can’t even see ghosts, _**PatchDonald’s**_. It seemed there was no lengths they wouldn’t go to.

But _this_. _This_ was a surprise. 

Manta held up a keychain of Shamash, the partner of Lady Jeanne of the X-Laws. He shuddered a bit at the memory of her fight against Team Nile. “This seems…. A bit in bad taste, don’t you guys think?” He placed the trinket back on the rack and took a step back to observe the full spread. He recognized several of the other items; Joco’s claws, Ren’s guandao, Horohoro’s snowboard, Harusame, Amidamaru himself… all in miniature. There was even a rainbow of small Oracle Bells, each bearing the name and Furyoku level of the shaman it belonged to. Incredible.

“Oh, I dunno Manta. These seem like they could be fun!” Yoh said, and Manta turned to see him swinging around a toy-sized version of his Spirit of the Sword Oversoul. Typical Yoh, unbothered. 

“It’s stupid, but it’s harmless,” Anna chimed in, thumbing through a box of flags bearing the names of the various teams. She pulled one out bearing the name of Team Funbari Hotsprings with a gentle smirk and a gleam in her eye. “Anyway, you can’t complain about this free advertisement.”

 _No wonder she doesn’t mind_ , Manta rolled his eyes. He continued to wander around the store until his eyes locked on one particular stand, the biggest one in the shop, taking an entire wall, floor to ceiling. “Y...Yoh-kun…look… at this…” he stammered.

“What is it, Manta?” Yoh turned, and his eyes went wide. “Woah!” He ran to stand beside Manta and picked up…

A stuffed doll. Of Amidamaru. Like the other dolls on the shelf, the features were rendered in ultra-cute, chibi-like proportions. The eyes were buttons.

“Amazing! And they’re so cute! People can buy these?” Yoh was getting excited.It made Manta laugh. 

“I guess they are pretty cute, Yoh-kun. But why sell anything that looks like the spirit allies? Not everyone in the audience can even SEE them.”

“It is obvious, Lord Manta,” Amidamaru said, materializing close enough to make Manta jump-- he never would get used to that would he? “They made likenesses of us spirits so everyone can know what we look like as well.”

“Really? Well I guess that makes sense--”

“Check this one out,” Yoh laughed. “Ren, it’s you!”

Ren frowned, and pushed himself off the wall by the door, where he’d been since the group had walked into the store. 

“These are absolutely ridiculous,” Ren’s voice was a deadpan as he picked up a plush Bason. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more trivial. Put them down, Yoh, we should get going.”

But Yoh had disappeared from his place between Manta and Ren. With mirrored looks of surprise, they both whirled around to find Yoh already at the cash register handing Kalim money. He came back with two bags stuffed full of the dolls. “I got one of everybody! Including our spirits!”

“Yoh-kun… why? You aren’t… you aren’t planning on using these as voodoo dolls are you?” Manta poked at the bags. Yoh laughed loudly at that.

“Of course not, Manta, don’t be silly,” Yoh rummaged through the bags and pulled out one of the dolls. He held it up but it’s hands. “I don’t think voodoo is really the right term for what those types of shamans use. But anyway, these are too cute for that.”

“Wait wait wait, Yoh-kun,” Manta said, his voice shaking slightly looking at the doll in Yoh’s hands. “YOU BOUGHT ONE OF HAO?!?”

“Yeah! Why not?” Yoh’s ever-present smile was shining even now. Anna harrumphed from behind him.

“Don’t waste money on things like this again, Yoh,” Anna said, in her usual cool tone. “You can keep them, but you’ll be running 10 extra laps for each one you bought.” She breezed past him and out of the store. 

Tears streamed down Yoh’s face. “Right Anna, of course,” he whimpered.

“I hope it was worth it Yoh-kun,” Manta chuckled, trailing behind Yoh as they both followed Anna out. 

Ren didn’t bother hiding his disgust for the dolls. He jabbed at one of Horohoro with the tip of his spear These dolls were idiotic, and the people who bought them more so. Whoever thought of it should really be--

“Mama, mama, I want a dollie!” A tiny voice chirped. “Woooow, there’s so many! Mommy, which should I choose?” A tiny girl, smaller than Manta even, was looking up and down the wall of plushies in awe. Ren could almost see her eyes sparkling. 

“Just don’t take too long, sweetie, your father is waiting for us,” a woman called distractedly as she perused another nearby display of Shaman Fight merchandise.

The girl ran along the display, looking at all the shamans and their spirit allies. She was so focused on the dolls that she ran right into Ren’s leg. She pulled away from the flowy fabric around his ankles.

“Sorry mister!” She chimed. Before Ren could respond, a look of excitement spread over her face. “I know you! You’re one of the shamans fighting! Your ghost was really, really big!” To emphasize this fact, she spread her arms as wide as they could go. So, the child could see spirits, could she? Perhaps she was related to another participant. Or maybe she was just a brat with a little second sight? Ren grumbled a little, as he looked down at the child, then back at the wall. 

With a faint blush spreading across his cheeks, Ren reached out and grabbed one of the dolls of himself. He didn’t look back at the girl, but he thrust the doll into her arms.

“Since you recognize me, you should take this one,” he growled, though there was no heat in his voice. “I, Tao Ren, am going to be the Shaman King, after all. You’ll do well to remember that.”

The girl accepted the doll happily. “Okay! Thank you sir!” She turned to head back to her mother, but stopped. She glanced back at Ren, and chirruped, “Good luck, Len! I hope you do win!” With that, she scampered off, still clutching the doll he gave her. Normally Ren would get annoyed if someone said his name wrong, but he found his features softening despite himself. He almost smiled. 

Almost.

Until he heard sniggering coming from behind him. 

Turning a deep shade of crimson, Ren whirled around to find his teammates, Horohoro and Joco, failing to stifle their laughter. “What are you idiots laughing at?!” He fumed as he stalked passed them. 

“Oh, nothing _Lenny_ ,” Joco breathed. “Just didn’t know you had a soft side”

“Yea, Ren, who knew you were so good with kids,” Horohoro chimed in. 

“Shut up! Both of you! I was just making sure she knows who the victor is going to be!”

“Whatever you say, Ren,” Horohoro said, patting him on the shoulder. “Whatever you say.”

“Hmph,” Ren mumbled, and made to leave. The girl and her mother were on their way out, but before the door closed, she looked back. She waved at him again with a big smile. Before the door closed, he saw she’d gone back for a Bason doll as well. 

This time, he did smile. 

“POW!”

“Ka-shhh. Slash! Shing!”

“Hiya! Hup! Hah!”

“Pchooo!”

“Will you two shut up?” Horohoro and Joco’s game was interrupted by a slap across the face from Anna. “Stop playing with these dolls. Yoh’s supposed to be carrying everything.” She stuffed the dolls of Horohoro, Kororo, Joco, and Mic back into Yoh’s bags. They probably didn’t add much weight, but considering he was already carrying everything else, on top of an afternoon of training, it likely didn’t help.

“Ah c’mon, Anna, no need to interrupt their fun, right?” Yoh attempted.

“No. They’re your dolls. You carry them back,” Anna’s clipped voice left little room for argument. Yoh hung his head in defeat. “Besides, they were annoying me.”

The two teams of friends rarely trained together. They were all rivals, afterall. But by now, they’d all seen each other in action enough times that there was little harm when they were all out anyway. After a morning of shopping together, they spent the afternoon together training for several hours, as well. With the sun just beginning to set, the group made their way back into town towards the dormitories they stayed in. 

“The boss really wasn’t kidding about making you run those extra laps, huh chief?” Ryu drawled, looking half amused, half concerned at Yoh’s plight.

“Is she ever kidding?” Yoh whined back. A chuckle ran through the other boys. “Come on, guys, it’s not funny--woah.” Yoh stopped short as a couple young boys ran in front of him. Like Horohoro and Joco, they were making fake fighting noises as they swiped at each other. One boy took a swipe with dull claws, toy replicas of Joco’s own. The other bapped him on the head with a small piece of wood painted like Horohoro’s snowboard. 

“Hey hey, these kids have good taste,” Joco cooed. They all stopped to watch the children at play. “How come you’re sticking around, Anna? This doesn’t annoy you?”

“Of course not. It’s cute when six year olds are playing. Though I suppose neither of you are much older, mentally.”

“Damn, Anna,that’s cold,” Joco whimpered. 

“Well, obviously we know which of these kids is best,” Horohoro bragged, gesturing to the kid with his toy snowboard. 

“What? No way, the kid with Mic’s claws would win!” Joco snapped back.

“This argument is pointless,” Ren chided, and was the first to break away from the group and keep walking.

“SHOOKY ZAMMY!” Another young boy appeared and ran at the other two. He held a small guandao and he jabbed it repeatedly at the other two, until they both fell over. The smug look on the kid’s face rivaled Ren’s own during a fight. Another ripple of laughter rose at the expense of Team Ren.

With a growl, likely of embarrassment, Ren turned and stormed off. Both defeated, Horohoro and Joco swayed after him.

Perhaps seeing people with these toys was going to be annoying after all.

“Opacho?” Hao’s voice was light, unconcerned, as he looked for the child. “Opacho? Where have you gotten to?”

“Opacho here!” A tiny voice called from a nearby room. Opacho was so rarely far from Hao’s side, he wondered what had gotten her attention. He laughed jovially when he saw where she was.

Her face barely peeked out of a large pile of plush dolls. “Where did these come from, little one?”

“Hao-sama! Cute!” She cried, thrusting a doll of Hao out of the pile, causing the rest to tumble to the floor around them. Hao smiled serenely at Opacho, running his hands over several of the dolls. 

“Yes, Opacho,” Hao agreed. He pulled up a doll from the floor, ran his thumb over the orange strip of fabric in the doll’s brown hair. “Very cute, indeed.”


End file.
